"I have thought about walking away from footy," Fasolo wrote. "I’ve thought about it heaps.

"But I’ve spoken to a lot of people about mental health and depression and suicide, and I think leaving footy would just be running away. Where would that leave me? I’d still have to battle with it.

"I have some really dark times where you think about death a lot. This is a hard thing to talk about. It’s hard to explain. I get it. It’s an escape fantasy when things get really bad and dark thoughts do really travel in your mind.

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Collingwood forward Alex Fasolo said his teammates have been terrific in helping him deal with depression. (Getty)

"Death, you feel like death is at the back of your mind somewhere. Not suicide. That’s just an escape fantasy. It’s like leaving footy; on a larger scale. I’d like to think that I’m strong enough to go, 'Nah, there’s a problem here and I’ll deal with it'."

Fasolo detailed how things reached a "tipping point" earlier in the year when he'd be reduced to tears after struggling to drag himself out of bed for pre-season training.

"Towards the end of pre-season I’d wake up every morning, I’d set my alarm and I’d go, "Oh, no"," Fasolo said.

"I’d sit in my car and cry for about 20 minutes. Then I’d get up the courage and I’d drive into the club and I’d get to the carpark, and then I’d sit in the car and cry for another 20 minutes, get up the courage, and then I’d walk into the club, look at the doors and just go, ‘Yep!’ – put on this big front.

"With my personality, I’ve always been the life of the party, I’ve always been the bloke that’s created energy, and I kept feeling that I had to keep living up to that.

"And that didn’t help, because I’d go to the club, I’d put on this big front and then I’d walk out of the club, get into my car and then just cry all the way home and just fall in a heap. This probably went on for a few months."

Collingwood forward Alex Fasolo praised the support he has received from coach Nathan Buckley in helping him battle depression. (Getty)

After Fasolo returned to training after sitting out the match against the Dockers, he was subject to an insensitive tweet from journalist Mark Robinson who trivialised his illness.

Robinson later apologised for his actions although he still earned the ire of Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and coach Nathan Buckley for ignoring the club's medical advice and trying to pursue an interview with Fasolo.

Fasolo said he had been in denial about his condition for up to 12 months but felt much better the longer his therapy sessions have gone on.

"Since all this came out it’s made the club environment a lot better. It was really nice to give everyone some understanding, because I felt like such a shit bloke, not being able to look blokes in the eye and stuff," Fasolo said.

"When my psychiatrist stood up and spoke to the boys I was so happy. I just wanted everyone to know, like, ‘I don’t hate you guys. I love you so much’.

"I’d hate to imagine where I’d be if I didn’t have that amount of support around me, I think I was heading down a really slippery slope, so I’m really lucky. The coaching staff and Bucks have been just really amazing.

Depression is a muddled, confused mind, basically, and as soon as you get some clarity and a little bit of information, half the battle’s won."

If you or someone you know needs help contact Lifeline on 13 11 44 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636